Gerry+DeocampoLBF

**Executive Summary**
Students from the EDTEC 670 class and other respondents comprised a sample size of 260 in answering 16 questions on a web-based survey about their boring and fun experiences in learning. Respondents were about 40% male and 60% female from 9 to 86 years of age of various levels of education. The electronic survey was administered via Survey Monkey. It was comprised of 16 multiple choice and open-ended questions (4 demographic, 5 regarding a boring learning experience, 5 regarding a fun learning experience, and 2 administrative). In general, boring learning experiences required very little from the learners who were passive with learner actions comprised of sitting, watching, and listening. On the other hand, during fun learning experiences learners were also expected to remember what they learned, but were more active and engaged in learning. In addition to watching and learning, learners who had fun experienced more interaction with other learners, the instructor, and the learning material.

What Makes Learning Boring?
The data could be shown to strongly support the notion that the most boring learning experiences require the learner to do very little. Generalizations can be made about this type of passive learning. **During their boring learning experiences learners were:**


 * (1) Expected to sit still, watch, and listen.** This is probably the most glaring generalization that can be made.  The summary data may easily be shown to validate this as 73.5% characterized boring learning with sitting still, 71.9% characterized it with watching an instructor or some other form of instruction, and 91.8% characterized boring learning with listening.  When respondents were asked to anecdotally describe the boring learning event, several called out having to sit and listen.  The following quote from Jazzy J during an undergraduate art history class is typical of many of these descriptions: "This boring event was a slide show in an art history class. We were expected to sit still, listen, and remember details about slides that were shown to us for a test we would be taking later."


 * (2) Subjected to instructors who lectured in a monotone voice.** Although it may not be statistically significant, the anecdotal data show that the word "monotone" was used to describe boring instruction 16 times out of 232 responses (about 7%).  Iron Giant describes his experience during technical training for BMW as follows: "Our instructor was speaking in his monotone voice reading from the manual, not looking up at us. Speaking slowly and pausing every few word, as if to collect his thoughts. Students were nodding off and the instructor worked hard to avoid acknowledging that he had completely lost the classes attention."  Honky Cat describes her high school geometry class as follows: "The very boring experience was listening to my geometry teacher. He was extremely monotone and didn't engage students in any discussions or participation exercises. I loved math in school, but I hated the class, not because of the work, but because of the instructor. He was a very old man and I suspect he never learned how to engage his class in the learning process."


 * (3) Taking notes.** Learners who were bored mentioned note taking as part of their experience in 10.8% (25 of 232) of all the respondents in their descriptions.  Because taking notes is a traditional learning activity, and probably the most common learning activity, the data could be shown to imply a relatively strong correlation between boring learning experiences and note taking.


 * (4) In a formal class setting.** The data show that boring learning experiences occurred in more formal or traditional class or classroom settings. 127 of 236 respondents (53.8%) mentioned that their boring learning experience occurred in a class or classroom.


 * (5) Learning content that they considered irrelevant.** In this sample of respondents, only 4 of 233 responses indicated that the learning experience was boring because the learner believed the material to be not pertinent to their learning needs.  Despite that this observation is most likely not statistically significant for this sample at 1.7%, I find it interesting that it was a contributing factor to the boredom for a few respondents.  Pete K describes a Photoshop seminar as follows: "Rather than being an overview of the program (my expectation), he focused his lecture and in class exercise on a limited, specific area that was not relevant to what I wanted to learn."

What Makes Learning Fun?
The data could be shown to strongly support the notion that the most fun learning experiences require the learner to do a variety of learning activities. Generalizations can be made about this type of active learning. **During their fun learning experiences learners were:**


 * (1) Expected to perform.** In addition to listening and watching, two of the dominant expectations characteristic of boring learning, during fun learning experiences, learners were also required to perform or present something about the topic being learned almost 60% of the time.  Lindz describes her 8th grade history learning experience that incorporated, presenting, performing, and working with artifacts:  "In my eighth grade U.S. History class we performed a mock presidential rally. We were required to submit a paper stating why we thought we would be best for a particular role in this rally. I was chosen to be Hillary Clinton, and I had to put together a speech based on research I had completed on her. During our history class, we then went to the gym, and performed this rally in costume. We even had secret service agents."


 * (2) Learning via non-traditional learning modalities.** Mrs. Teacher describes a dynamic lecture on Aztec culture where she had the opportunity to sing and dance.  This anecdote seems typical of fun learning experiences where learning was not simply visual or auditory.  In this case, the primary learning vehicle was described mainly in terms of a music-related learning mode.  "The event took place at a community center. The instructor delivered his lecture in a story telling way. He used many visuals, artifacts, and musical instruments. He was also very personable. We sang, laughed, and also had an opportunity to learn dances."


 * (3) Instructed by friendly and approachable teachers.** Although the data may not be statistically significant in this case, it is noteworthy to mention that when instructors were personable, friendly, and approachable, learners were more likely to describe their learning experience as fun.  This occurred in 8 of 232 responses where instructors were described as "friendly".  Additionally, fun learning experiences were led by teachers who were described as being to create a "personal connection" for the learners to the learning content in 7.3% of the responses (17 of 232).  Angel describes an experience where she connected with a lecturer at a geography institute: "Their [sic] was a personal connection to the presenter made through the use of his family photos, the presenter had a sense of humor and was insightful. The material was interesting."


 * (4) In a formal class setting.** The data show that fun learning experiences occurred in more formal or traditional class or classroom settings. 114 of 231 respondents (49.4%) mentioned that their fun learning experience occurred in a class or classroom.


 * (5) Expected to interact.** In 35 of 232 responses (15.1%), learners described fun learning experiences as ones that involved interacting with other learners, the instructor, or some type of learning artifact.  Miss Mouse describes an informal field trip as follows, illustrating the interactive nature of fun learning experiences: "This experience was fun to me because I was interacting with other classmates, moving around and really engaged in the lesson. The instructor was there to give us a helping hand, however he did not require us to only listen to him. I was actively interacting with my classmates and the material which reinforced the material we were learning."

Implications
A noteworthy point to make about both boring and fun learning experiences described by respondents in this sample is that the majority of both types of learning experiences occurred in a formal class or classroom setting. I believe this shows it is possible to create learningful experiences in more traditional environments. However, a fun and learningful experience must clearly use more than the traditional learning delivery methods of simply visual or auditory learning modes. Instruction that engages learners at multiple levels of thinking and participation enhance the "fun-ness" of the learning. Engaging learners at this level activates their motivation for learning. Thus, even in a formal class setting, fun learning can take place.

Another interesting point is that student participation in the learning process must extend beyond note taking. While note taking is more than just sitting, watching, and listening, it does not engage the learner actively. Yet I would venture to say that note taking is probably the most dominant learning activity in which learners are engaged, especially in a formal class setting. It would seem that learners benefit more from experiences where they had to do more than just regurgitate the content. Fun learning takes place when learners "re-create" the content, like having to perform a skit, problem-solve with their co-learners, or show others how to do whatever it is they are being trained to do.

Finally, I believe effective and fun learning is something that reaches learners at a personal level. Whether it is a friendly instructor or interacting with peers who share a common interest or being highly motivated because the learning topic is valuable to the learner, fun learning is personal in nature.